The Controls

Somewhere in underground New York circa 1999, The Controls released a legend of an album called One Hundred. Somewhere in Kingston, Canada circa 2002 my roommate Steffonn stumbled across it and played it repeatedly enough that it became one of his favorite albums. And then circa March 2008 in Pittsburgh, Steffonn bought the album and spun it a few times in our place. Now I'm addicted as well.

I've been slowly getting into more and more house music (maturity? I don't know...), and there are certain artists that really get me to nod my head. The Controls have a little bit of Portishead in them, and the laid back flow of an album you'd hear at your local trendy lounge with a $15 martini in hand. The beats in One Hundred are definitely the focal point of a lot of the songs. What really makes this album unique are two things. First, the singer's voice seems to float up into the air like smoke from a cigarette. It's sensual and yet attention-grabbing at the very same time. The Controls also incorporate a unique backing of sounds from synth keys to car horns to classical guitars.

The track 'Shadow of A Man' showcases a lot of the things I mentioned earlier. The silky singing, some small classical guitar licks in there, and a heavy beat that keeps you right on pulse with the song. 'Terrified of Nothing' begins with a smooth guitar line and train horns. The beat slowly fades in complementing the singing that almost gets up to a hip-hop speed. This is my favorite track on the album. A little flamenco complements the last track I posted called '100'. This one has a more electronic, snappy feel to it. Along with some synthesized voices and a crisp synth-beat, some harmonies evolve throughout the tune. Crank it up to max volume and leave in on in your house as background. Soon enough...you'll be addicted too.

The Controls - Terrified of Nothing

The Controls - Shadow of A Man

The Controls - 100